Rural Healthcare System Launches New Virtual Care Center

To boost care access for rural communities that are often underserved, Sanford Health has created a virtual care center that aims to support a network of virtual clinics and telehealth services among those who lack sufficient access to care.

People who live in rural communities face barriers to care for various reasons, including the large distances between patient homes and clinic locations.

To battle this issue, Sanford Health is establishing a 60,000-square-foot virtual care center featuring workspaces with telehealth technology. As a rural health system, Sanford Health centers its efforts around ensuring that rural communities have access to healthcare.

“At Sanford Health, we take great pride in serving America’s heartland. It is part of our legacy and our identity. Today, we take a critical step toward transforming the healthcare experience across rural America by breaking ground on the Sanford Virtual Care Center,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, in a press release. “Thanks to the philanthropic spirit of our visionary donor, Denny Sanford, and his landmark gift of $350 million, we will make good on our commitment to bring exceptional healthcare to patients no matter where they call home or the challenges they face."

With the goal of opening in 2024, the Sanford Virtual Care Center will offer various types of care virtually, including services related to urgent care, behavioral healthcare, and primary care.

“The innovation that takes place in this building will help us deliver on our promise to patients by leveraging the best of technology to provide high-quality, safe care with an emphasis on convenience and affordability,” said Brad Schipper, president of virtual care, in the press release.

In addition to the virtual care center, the health system will establish five pilot satellite clinics in areas where healthcare services are especially hard to access.

This move builds on Sanford Health's previous efforts to incorporate new and emerging technologies into healthcare operations.

For example, in August, Sanford Health announced that it would work with Sharp HealthCare to improve the process of developing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. The collaboration, which also includes healthcare AI company Dandelion Health, will focus on launching a platform that allows for greater access to high-quality patient information. This data could then be used to develop AI products and tools.

Further, in March, Sanford Health and a software company known as Flexwise created an AI system to make scheduling nurses easier. The tool analyzes workplace activity to produce a schedule, thereby streamlining the process.